The debate goes on, hard-sided luggage or soft-sided luggage; which is superior? The answer depends on your particular needs and concerns. Hard luggage has been recognized for years as offering a protective shell for equipment, paper products, and other items of potentially fragile construction. Its usually smooth surface resist impact, as opposed to absobing impact like a soft-sided bag might. New innovations include hard-sided bags with zippered closures, which can lessen both weight and frame damage. A tip: choose your size carefully; hard-sided bags do not usually have an expansion feature, so will offer less room on the way home for extra items you’ve picked up on your trip.